Farming of Kent. 
263 
cultivated with the greatest care by horse and manual labour at a 
very heavy expense. 
From Canterbury to Kochester there is a belt of country con- 
sisting of an inferior chalky soil, in some places abounding in flints 
and interspei*sed with extensive woods. This wood-land has of 
late years become of great value, especially in the vicinity of the 
hop districts, where an increasing demand exists for poles. Im- 
provements, more or less, have been going on for several years in 
the wood-lands of this part of the county by grubbing up old and 
unproductive stubs, and replacing them either with ash or chesnut. 
Capital judiciously expended in this way returns iti a few years a 
good interest. A considerable portion of wood-land is leased of the 
Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, under a tenure which prevents 
improvement to any large extent ; and this remark will apply to 
the arable land belonging to that property. 
Very large portions of this part of the county require little or 
no underdraining. But there are considerable patches of land, 
more particularly along the valleys of the Medway and the Swale, 
that are of a more adhesive nature, resting on a clay or stiff' gra- 
velly loam, which are immensely benefited by thorough draining. 
Mr. Fullagar, of Colshall farm, near Milton, who occupies under 
Lord Harris, has drained extensively for many years with the 
most satisfactory results : depth of drains from 2 feet to 3^ feet, 
with tiles or stones. It was on this farm that the celebrated breed 
of sheep denominated the " New" or " Improved Kents" was 
commenced, and has been successfully carried on for the last fifty 
years. A few words relative to the origin and history of this breed 
will not be deemed irrelevant to the purposes of this essay. Mr. 
Richard Goord, who is still living, a hale old Kentish yeoman in 
his eighty-fourth year, commenced his improvements on the 
Kentish sheep in 1795. He selected nine ewes and one ram from 
Romney Marsh ; these ten sheep, with a few rams afterwards ob- 
tained from the late celebrated Mr. Wall, were the original stock 
from which many thousands have sprung. The principle of 
breeding in and in Mr. Goord has strictly adhered to through the 
long period of half a century, and his present flock shows the 
result. This breed come early to maturity, have a large carcass, 
broad on the back, short on the legs, the breast deep and pro- 
jecting, and have a strong tendency to fatten. Their wool is very 
superior, being both long and fine. We should observe, however, 
that there exists among the graziers of Romney Marsh generally 
a strong feeling in favour of their own breeds ; their principal 
objection to the " Improved Kents" is that they are too delicate 
and tender for so exposed a situation as the marsh. We may 
instance the following facts, showing their tendency to fatten. A 
wether, twenty months old, fed on grass only by Mr. C. Cheese- 
